RICE – A pair of Daniels paced Mildred as it won at Rice, beating the Bulldogs for the eighth time in eight meetings.

Daniel Folsom ran for 135 yards and three touchdowns, and Daniel Donoho had 92 total yards and two more scores as the Eagles won, 38-7, to claim a share of the District 14-2A title.

Mildred (6-4, 5-1) is advancing to the playoffs for the fifth straight year, the longest current streak in the Golden Circle.

Rice got a 3-yard touchdown run from Geoffrey Hammonds a minute into the second quarter to make it 14-7, but the Bulldogs managed only eight first downs and 113 yards in falling to 1-9, 0-6 in district.

“We came out and we played well,” Rice coach David Currey said. “We eliminated some turnovers, and we caused two. Mildred’s got a good football team.

“But we’re beat up.”

The Bulldogs were a minus-10 in turnovers the last two weeks, and played without senior running backs Austin Anderson and Blake Lewis, both injured.

Mildred coach Patrick Harvell said his team’s performance overall was “sloppy,” except in the first quarter.

The Eagles went up 7-0 on their first drive, as quarterback Nic Shmonek went 3 for 3 for 48 yards, and Donoho followed a 19-yard reception with a 3-yard touchdown run on a reverse.

After Rice’s second three-and-out to start the game, the Eagles needed only two plays to go up, 14-0. After a questionable pass interference call against Rice, Shimonek found Donoho for 42 yards down the seam of Rice’s defense on a second-and-1 play.

Rice answered with a methodical 11-play, 70-yard drive that featured Levi Plunkett, a lot of Levi Plunkett. He had the drive’s first six carries, totaling 30 yards and two first downs. Michael Bustamante had an 18-yard carry for a first, and Hammonds set up first-and-goal with an 11-yard run, then capped it with his touchdown.

Folsom entered the game on offense with the Eagles facing a third-and-18 midway through the second. He ran for 15 yards, then for 13 on fourth-and-3, as the Eagles went for it at their own 36. Payton Weaver added runs of 11 and 12 on the drive, and Clay Harrell’s 14-yard romp on a reverse set up Folsom’s first touchdown of the night.

Mildred's fourth and final touchdown of the second half was set up by a fumble recovery by Trevor Owen, who was perfect on extra points and added a 26-yard field goal in the third quarter.

Mildred had eight penalties and two interceptions.

“Last year, we had a great game going into the playoffs,” said Harvell, whose team lost 41-0 in the first round. “I’d rather have the bad one going into the playoffs this year.

“These kids had a great year, though. We accomplished something a lot of people didn’t think we could or would. These kids have a lot of grit and we had kids show a lot of leadership. They play hard and believe in each other.”



Mildred 38, Rice 7

Mildred 14 14 3 7 — 38

Rice 0 7 0 0 — 7



First Quarter

M — Daniel Donoho 3 run (Trevor Owen kick), 6:47

M — Donoho 42 pass from Nc Shimonek (Owen kick), 3:42

Second Quarter

R — Geoffrey Hammonds 3 run (Jody Bernal kick), 11:00

M — Daniel Folsom 3 run (Owen kick), 4:06

M — Folsom 5 run (Owen kick), 1:06

Third Quarter

M — Owen 26 FG, 4:34

Fourth Quarter

M — Folsom 9 run (Owen kick), 11:54



M R

First downs 16 8

Rush-yards 35-202 42-113

Passing yards 111 0

C-A-I 7-12-2 0-2-0

Fumbles-lost 0-0 2-2

Punts-avg. 1-15 3-24

Penalties-yards 8-72 4-30



Individual

Rushing —M: Payton Weaver 7-30, Daniel Folsom 18-135, Logan Shelton 2-4, Nic Shimonek 4-7, Clay Harrell 1-10, Daniel Donoho 3-12. R: Jabarrin Davis 6-3, Kenneth Hart 7-(-12), Tommy Beldin 1-(-1), Michael Bustamante 5-20, Geoffrey Hammonds 7-21, Levi Plunkett 15-59, Justin Digman 1-23.

Passing —M: Shimonek 6-11-1-105, Folsom 1-1-0-6. R: Hart 0-2-0-0.

Receiving —M: Rody Seilheimer 1-16, Trevor Owen 1-15, Donoho 5-80. R: none.